Protect The Porkies

Home
United States
Wakefield, MI
Protect The Porkies

Directions Website Contact the organization

Protect The Porkies & Cancel the Copperwood Mine in Porcupine Mountains State park on Lake Superior. Geological Society.
(1)

COPPERWOOD UPDATE: Development continues on the closest metallic sulfide mine to Lake Superior in history; a permit has been filed to reroute streams and destroy wetlands; plans include a 323 acre tailings dam tilted towards Lake Superior; Porcupine Mountains and North Country Trail affected

Here is a brief update for those interested in following the resistance against the Copperwood Mine. On June 23rd, Canadian company Highland Copper filed their newest permit with EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), requesting permission to reroute five streams and build a 324 acre tailings disposal dam tilted towards Lake Superior. We can now no longer claim the mine is an abstract idea; concrete progress is being made. Though locals have long said, "I'll believe it when I see it," we need to recognize that by the time you see it, it's too late. Copperwood would be sandwiched between Porcupine Mountains State Park – the largest State Park in Michigan, and the largest tract of mixed old growth forest in the Midwest – and the historic North Country Trail. Other details:

* The operation would drill beneath the Presque Isle River and extract minerals from beneath State Park property
* The mine would be permitted to dump half a million gallons of wastewater per day into Namebinag Creek, which empties directly into Lake Superior; Namebinag Creek is additionally home to the Redside Dace, an endangered species in Michigan (mining wastewater and endangered species do not mix well)
* The ore's grade is estimated to be only 1.5% copper, meaning that nearly 99% would be stored as 50+ million tons of heavy metal-laden waste rock in a tailings dam tilted towards Lake Superior

This is not a critique of the industry of mining. Obviously, minerals are important, and modern technology requires their extraction. However, we can agree on a common sense point: some locations for metallic sulfide mines are worse than others, and this one is as bad as it gets. Reminder that mineral in question – copper – is not even a critical mineral https://www.mining.com/copper-loses-battle-in-fight-for-critical-mineral-status-in-the-us/) as recently deemed by the U.S. Reminder that Highland Copper is a Canadian company, so when an environmental disaster occurs, the burden will fall upon local taxpayers, while the executives are back in Quebec.

# Those interested in joining our resistance are invited to sign the petition at https://www.change.org/ProtectThePorkies and visit https://www.protecttheporkies.com/ for further information.

# You may also join our subreddit - r/CancelCopperwood at https://www.reddit.com/r/CancelCopperwood/

10/31/2026

The proposed White Pine North mine near the east side of the Porcupine Mountains and upstream from Lake Superior has recently applied for its mining permit, which will lay the foundation for all permits to come.

Please take note of these important dates:

— November 4th @ 6pm ET, In-Person Hearing with EGLE at Ontonagon High School
https://www.michigan.gov/egle/outreach/public-notice-calendar/2026/11/04/public-meeting-white-pine-north-project-part-632-permit-application

— November 10th @ 6pm ET, Online Hearing with EGLE
https://www.michigan.gov/egle/outreach/public-notice-calendar/2026/11/10/public-meeting-white-pine-north-project-part-632-permit-application-online

— Written Comments Due @ December 2nd by 5pm ET
[email protected] or
EGLE, GRMD, 416 Avenue C, Gwinn, Michigan 49841

*** Protect the Porkies is holding an online comment-crafting workshop on NOVEMBER 2ND at 4:30pm CT / 5:30pm ET. Registration is required: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/VmwV_NX_T8KLrfpoj-1huQ #/registration

Please note, Protect the Porkies has not taken an official position on the proposed White Pine North mine, but it is essential to educate the public on perspectives which do not originate with for-profit industry.

10/29/2026

These are not endorsements, just statements of fact.

The health of Lake Superior, the Porcupine Mountains, and the quest to grow an economy which is not dependent on the false savior of foreign-owned, boom-and-bust, hit-and-run extractive industry are entirely non-partisan, universal issues, which is why the candidates listed span multiple parties: Democrat, Libertarian, Independent.

Notably absent are candidates from the Republican party. This is strange, given their America First platform. Using Michigan taxpayer dollars to subsidize an inexperienced Canadian company to degrade a beloved area and ship the copper to Canada? Hmm… Here’s to the dream that one day politicians (across all parties) might actually be philosophically consistent, with good firm spines that don’t melt down for whoever waves the biggest paycheck.

We also hope that once Tuesday’s election has concluded, we will all cast our energies back towards local organizing to raise our communities and environments from the bottom-up. Remember that everything that happens in government, including the quality of lawmakers and their decisions, is far downstream from the conversations, arts, culture and connections created higher up the Mountain.

In other words, the only thing more important than what happens on Tuesday is what happens on every day to follow.

10/22/2026

Will the Porcupine Mountains become Canada’s trashcan?

“It’s like a landfill where you put your garbage,” Copperwood Mine’s site manager Mike Foley brightly declared in a recent article from The Economist magazine, regarding a proposed 320-acre waste facility just 100 feet from the most beautiful State Park in America, visible from the Lake of the Clouds Overlook, and in unprecedented proximity to this continent’s largest, cleanest source of surface freshwater.

On the other side of the most beautiful State Park in America another Canadian company, Kinterra Capital, hopes to reopen the White Pine Mine. The new quantity of waste produced at White Pine would require raising the existing waste basin’s north side by 26 feet — yes, north means closest to Lake Superior.

It used to be relatively easy to simply not talk about these humongous waste basins, but now most people know how to use Google Earth, especially when they’re looking for a place to live. Who wants to raise a family, start a business, or retire in the shadow of a waste pile? Even though the original White Pine ran for 40+ years, it completely failed to create a diversified economy and sustained population, and now the town is in the bottom 20% by income.

So why the rush for new copper mines, given that:

1. Copper has been listed as a critical mineral due to a lack of copper refineries, not new copper mines.

2. Copper from both mines would be shipped to Canada, with no promise of return.

3. The current high price of copper is based on speculative narratives and Trump tariffs. When the price falls, copper mines will lay off workers by the hundreds, as occurred at the White Pine Mine.

4. Copper is infinitely recyclable, and yet only around 38% is being recovered. Before talking about new mines, shouldn’t we invest more in recovery solutions?

5. Even if the day comes when we need copper for some better reason than AI data centers, we must acknowledge that not all locations are equal. Water-rich areas and world-renowned outdoor recreation destinations should be deprioritized.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

10/14/2026

We're suing the Michigan Strategic Fund for their violation of the Michigan constitution and Michigan Strategic Fund Act. We look forward to releasing more details soon. We would be extraordinarily grateful for whatever you can chip in to help us with this effort to hold corrupt and incompetent decision-makers accountable, and to protect Lake Superior, the Porcupine Mountains, and the burgeoning homegrown economy of the Upper Peninsula. Thank you!

Chip in here: www.ProtectThePorkies.com/grant

Photo by Jessica and Jeffrey Dobbs

10/12/2026

The following 2026 midterm election candidates are on record opposing the Copperwood Mine:

— Kelli van Ginhoven, Michigan Senate, District 38
— Lydia Christensen, U.S. Senate
— Rachel Keys, Michigan House, District 108

But what about the others? We have a right to know how ALL candidates stand on the use of 50 million taxpayer dollars to advance an inexperienced foreign mining company's plan to ransack a beautiful place, all for the sake of copper to be shipped out of country, even though there are already 25+ active copper mines in the United States and NO shortage of copper — in fact, according to Goldman Sachs, last year recorded the highest surplus in at least 15 years, with this year's surplus expected to be even larger. So what's the rush to use the Upper Peninsula as Canada's trash can and store 40+ million tons of toxic waste next to Lake Superior?

10/08/2026

We’re suing the Michigan Strategic Fund and we need your help!

www.ProtectThePorkies.com/grant

Our attorneys are putting together a great case to challenge the illegal award of $50M to advance the Copperwood Mine, but we need to secure funding to make sure we can see this fight through to the end, for the sake of the Porcupine Mountains, Lake Superior, and the hope of building a REAL economy that enriches locals, not just foreign mining companies (and let’s not forget about a little thing called DEMOCRACY which will not survive if we don’t protect it — reminder that they passed the $50M without a single vote from elected lawmakers, completely subverting governance by the People, for the People).

Since launching last Monday, we’ve raised 37% of our $50,000 goal — that’s an incredible start, but let’s keep pushing! Remember, all contributions will be matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR by large donors, so a $100 donation becomes $200, and so on. We know this is a tough time economically for many, but the lands and waters are counting on us.

Please chip in whatever you can: www.ProtectThePorkies.com/grant

And we look forward to sharing updates on the lawsuit very soon!

10/06/2026

Cartoon Contest! Cash Prizes! Deadline November 10th.

Visit www.ProtectThePorkies.com/contest or click the link in our profile for details

Accepted forms: comic strip, single cartoon, doodles, digital art, really whatever you like.

And of course, AI-generated and AI-assisted art is prohibited under pain of death. Thank you.

10/03/2026

Join us on Sunday at Porcupine Mountains State Park (Presque Isle Scenic Area on the west side) for a Jingle Dress Dance and potluck feast!

Event starts at 2pm Central Time. All Jingle Dancers are invited to participate. We hope to see you there!

www.ProtectThePorkies.com/dance

10/01/2026

Join us for the FINAL WEEKEND of the historic Animikiiwadiswan Tribal-led resistance encampment next to the proposed Copperwood Mine site.

Full details at www.ProtectThePorkies.com/camp

Please join us also on Sunday for a traditional Jingle Dress Dance and potluck feast in Porcupine Mountains State Park!

09/30/2026

Join us on Sunday, October 4th, at the Presque Isle Scenic Area of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
For a Gathering in Honor of Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains

All Jingle Dancers invited and provided with stipend!
All Tribe members reimbursed for State Park entry pass!
Please share!

Dance followed by a Potluck Feast
Bring a dish and reusable dishwater,
and Love for Land, Water, and Life!

Full details at
www.ProtectThePorkies.com/dance

Join us also for the FINAL WEEKEND of Animikiiwadiswan, a Native-led encampment next to the proposed Copperwood Mine site,
Friday 3pm til Sunday morning:
www.ProtectThePorkies.com/camp

This footage is from the Bad River MMIWR event in Ashland, July 2026

Address

Wakefield, MI

Website

https://linktr.ee/protecttheporkies

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Protect The Porkies posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.